The problems associated with dripping candles, complete burning and effective candle mounting are well recognized and there have been numerous attempts to provide solutions for more than one hundred years.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,200,121 issued in 1916 to Knapp teaches a sanctuary lamp which includes a socketless drip preventing candle holder of the type comprising: a drip preventing and a candle stabilizing cap member having an annular shoulder portion for sitting on a shoulder of the candle to descend under gravity during consumption thereof and a central, wick receiving aperture with a lip to contain melted wax and a skirt depending from the annular portion, spaced from the candle body; a stand having a base and an upstanding socket-less candlestick with a shallow, concave candle supporting surface at least as wide as the candle for containing melted wax and receivable in sealing engagement within the cap during the last stages of consumption of the candle to prevent leakage of melted wax; complementary cap guiding means on the cap means and stand including metal guide rods extending vertically between the cap means and the stand on opposite sides of the candle and socket means slidingly receiving the guide rods; whereby the complementary guide means maintains the drip preventing cap member on a fixed vertical axis prior to and throughout descent under gravity down the candle body during consumption thereof with the cap member retaining the candle upright on the candle supporting surface.
In the construction disclosed in the above-mentioned patent, the cap means comprises a massive metal member from which the skirt depends vertically, lower ends of the guide rods are anchored in the stand and upper ends are slidingly received in sockets extending vertically, completely through the skirt and the massive annular portion of the cap.
However, as pointed out in Knapp's subsequent U.S. Pat. No. 1,225,614, issued in 1918, the prior construction was not satisfactory, as the heavy metal cap member frequently tended to cant on the rods and the rods became coated with wax, preventing true and free descent of the cap so that the cap did not tightly seal the candle support and wax leaked throughout burning.
In an attempt to overcome these disadvantages, Knapp's later patent directs a different approach, substituting a cap of transparent vitreous material for the massive metal cap and eliminating the guide rods, instead relying on complex profiling of the cap interior to facilitate centering on the candle during descent and providing a candle supporting surface restructured with a socket forming profile of greater depth with a peripheral rubber seal.
However, the requirements for a rubber seal and complex restructuring increase the manufacturing expense of the candle holder while the profiled socket requires a matching profile on the bottom of the candle which obviates use of a simple and inexpensive generic candle, decreasing versatility and further increasing both manufacturing and operating costs.
Even so, as a result of the increased depth of the wax receiving socket, apparently, the candle will not be completely consumed as the resulting enclosure formed at the final stage of candle burning appears so deep as to cause the flame to be extinguished through lack of oxygen.
A second type of a drip preventing candle holder is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 1,365,485 issued in 1921 to Guest also comprises a drip preventing and candle stabilizing cap member having an annular shoulder portion for sitting on a shoulder of the candle to descend under gravity during consumption thereof and a central, wick receiving aperture with a lip to contain melted wax and a cylindrical skirt depending from the annular portion; a stand having a base and an upstanding, socket-less candlestick with a candle supporting surface and receivable in sealing engagement within the cap during the last stages of consumption of the candle to reduce or prevent leakage of melted wax; and complementary cap guiding means on the cap member and base. However, the guiding means includes the skirt which is longer than the candle so as to slidingly receive the candlestick to guide the descent of the cap member to maintain the candle upright on the candle supporting surface throughout burning.
In the Guest patent, the candlestick is of constant width, substantially equal to the width of the candle and supporting surface and, preferably, the guiding means includes a cylindrical sleeve member upstanding from the base of the stand surrounding the candlestick in coaxial relation to provide therebetween a skirt receiving socket. As the skirt is of greater axial length than the candle it is guided by sliding receipt in the socket during burning ensuring even vertical descent of the cap member. Furthermore, the lip is extended to provide a large bowl as necessary to contain the increased amount of wax melted as a result of the high thermal conductivity of the cap which is apparently metal.
However, that construction is relatively bulky and heavy, also requiring vent holes at an upper end for cooling the candle body and to drain back reliquified wax from the bowl at the final stage of burning adding to complexity and manufacturing cost. Removal of any wax leaking into the socket can be relatively time consuming and difficult. In addition, the candle body is concealed from view substantially completely throughout burning by the metal cap member.
Other prior cap members and candle holders are taught by U.S. utility Pat. Nos. 84,103; 3,071,952; 3,767910; 4,544,357; 4,566,055; 4,755,135; 5,057,005; U.S. design Pat. No. 288,722; U.K. patent application publication 2,067,739 and Japanese patent application publication 9161517.